explaining_errors_in_star_trekfandomcom-20200215-history
Pen Pals
' |image= |series= |production=40272-141 |producer(s)= |story= |script=Melinda M. Snodgrass |director=Winrich Kolbe |imdbref=tt0708754 |guests=Nicholas Cascone as Davies, Nikki Cox as Sarjenka, Ann H. Gillespie as Hildebrant, Colm Meaney as Miles O'Brien, Whitney Rydbeck as Alans |previous_production=The Icarus Factor |next_production=Q Who |episode=TNG S02E16 |airdate=29 April 1989 |previous_release=The Icarus Factor |next_release=Q Who |story_date(s)=42695.3-42741.3 (2365) |previous_story=The Icarus Factor |next_story=Q Who }} =Summary= As the Enterprise surveys an area of unexplored planets with unusually short life spans due to severe geological changes, Acting Ensign Wesley Crusher is put in charge of a survey team, in order to further his studies toward becoming a Starfleet officer. Wesley selects a team of competent science officers, but as they are much older than he is, worries his authority is challenged; one team member, Davies, challenges Wesley's request to run a time-consuming scan, causing Wesley to doubt himself. Meanwhile, Lt. Commander Data receives a primitive radio signal from a young girl on one of the planets. Data makes contact with the girl, named Sarjenka, and continues to converse regularly her over the course of the month, keeping the details of his identity secret, as Sarjenka's culture is unaware of life existing outside their planet. When Sarjenka reports that earthquakes are occurring with increasing frequency, Data realizes her planet is beginning to break down, and reports to Captain Picard in the hope that the Enterprise can find a way to reverse the process. Picard sympathizes with Data's case, but sternly orders him to cease communication with Sarjenka to avoid any further violations of the Prime Directive. Wesley seeks Commander Riker for advice on handling his team. Riker stresses that Starfleet training is about both responsibility and authority, and commends Wesley for his record of responsibility, but urges him to exercise authority with the science team. Wesley returns to the team and requests in a more authoritative manner that Davies perform the planetary scan, and Davies complies without argument. The scans prove to be key to understanding the planets' geological instability, and Wesley's team proposes a method to correct it. Data receives another signal from Sarjenka, who is now calling for help as volcanic eruptions threaten to wipe out her home. Picard recognizes they cannot ignore her pleas, and orders the Enterprise to Sarjenka's planet. He allows Data to beam down to take the girl to safety; running out of time, he takes her back to the Enterprise instead, much to Picard's dismay. The crew is able to safely restore the planet's geological system, and Picard orders Chief Medical Officer Dr. Pulaski to sedate Sarjenka and erase her memories of Data and the Enterprise. Data returns the sleeping girl to her home, now safe, leaving her with a "singing stone" that Dr. Pulaski had given her while in Sickbay. =Errors and Explanations= Plot Oversights # Picard taking the time to tie up his holodeck created horse, after receiving Riker's urgent call. This is most likely a habitual action on the part of the Captain. # Pulaski apparantly monitoring the bridge, based on her response when Picard orders her to erase Sarjenka's memories. The Medical systems may be programmed to monitor key areas and crew members, to provide the medical staff with advance warning of possible casualties in certain situations. Nit Central # Keith Alan Morgan on Friday, April 23, 1999 - 07:50 am: Why didn't the Holodeck computer put the saddle on the horse instead of on the rail? It was most likely programmed this way so the rider would be in the habit of putting the saddle on themselves. # Why do they even need to assign someone to head up a geological survey and choose people to do the work? Isn't exploring space one of their jobs? Shouldn't these people be already assigned and working on these jobs before they even get to this sector? Do these people just sit around playing on the Holodeck hoping nobody assigns them to a mission? Like Engineering or Sick Bay or Stellar Cartography, I would think that this would be a 'department' on the ship with someone already in charge of it. (Unless that person wanted to spend more time on the Holodeck and asked Riker to assign someone else?) More likely they are assigned to other tasks when not needed for survey work. In any case, Wes was put in charge as part of his pre Academy training. ''stephen on Sunday, May 12, 2002 - 1:39 pm:''It's because many of the crewmembers are taking turns, learning about each other's disciplines, not only for a well-rounded education, but also just in case one specialist isn't available, another with almost as much experience, can take his/her place. Wesley also has the potential to learn lots of things, and someday might find his geological knowledge useful in solving some physics puzzle. ST novels by Reeves-Stevens have suggested that dilithium has atomic bonds which reach into the 4th dimension; it looks to us like quartz, but future technology will make it possible to distinguish between ordinary lithium and dilithium. So that's a physics feature Wesley would be interested in. # Why would it take five hours to set up a scanner for Dilithium? Isn't dilithium one of the things that makes the ship work? Wouldn't any devices that can find things vital to keeping the ship up and running be a priority item and already installed and ready to work??? The various components may have been in storage, and only brought out when needed. =Sources= Category:The Next Generation Category:Episodes